Hebei Man Sentenced to Jail Term for His Faith

September 05, 2017 | By a Minghui correspondent in Hebei Province, China

(Minghui.org) Falun Gong practitioner Mr. Tian Kaishan from Baoding City, Hebei Province was illegally sentenced to a two-year prison term by the Yi County Court and fined 1,000 yuan on July 13, 2017.

He was transferred to Jidong No. 2 Prison on August 8, 2017, without his family being notified. The family only learned about his transfer when they brought clothes for him to the detention center.

Secretly Tried, Family Prevented from Attending Trial

The Yi County Court notified Mr. Tian's lawyer that his client's second trial would be held at the detention center at 2:30 p.m. on July 13, 2017. The lawyer was notified again on the same day that the trial had been moved to the courthouse to accommodate his client's family members.

The family went to the courthouse on the day of the trial, but no one was there. They later learned that Mr. Tian had been tried at 4:30 p.m. at the detention center by Judge Liang Aidong.

Visitation Denied while Detained

Mr. Tian was first tried on May 4, 2017, by the Yi County Court. The trial adjourned without reaching a verdict. His case was then submitted to the Baoding City Intermediate Court for an evaluation. Meanwhile, detention center officials said that Mr. Tian would not be released.

His family learned on July 10 that he had become very weak and was on an IV. His son and daughter tried to visit him at the detention center the next day, but were threatened by the director and guards. They were eventually dragged outside.

The following day, after Mr. Tian was sentenced, his family members again attempted to see him. However, the director of the detention center claimed that the family did not have any visitation rights, with the exception of Mr. Tian's lawyer.

When Mr. Tian's lawyer went to see him on July 17, 2017, the guards refused to let him, using the excuse that the schedule was full that day.

The lawyer went to see Mr. Tian again two days later. Dozens of staff surrounded the visiting room and monitored their conversation.

According to the attorney, Mr. Tian had been on a hunger strike and was taken to Yi County Hospital for emergency treatment on several occasions. Over a dozen personnel employed various methods to brainwash him.

He was very thin and in poor health. He was also shackled the entire visit.